


Worth

by virgoxdreamer



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Match, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-28
Updated: 2016-03-28
Packaged: 2018-05-29 16:12:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6383476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/virgoxdreamer/pseuds/virgoxdreamer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ushijima corners Oikawa and tells him it was a mistake to go to Aoba Jousai. Iwaizumi overhears and protects his friend, damaging himself in the process.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Worth

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a small piece based off a headcanon by Tumblr user beruzenefu.  
> What if Iwaizumi walked in on the conversation held by Oikawa and Ushijima after the match against Karasuno?  
> This is the result of that.

Iwaizumi sighed, the weight of their defeat settled heavily across his shoulders. He had managed to get his emotions under control since his momentary lapse on the court, he reminded himself that he needed to be strong for Oikawa. As his thoughts turned towards his setter, he glanced around everyone lining up to get on the bus. Oikawa was nowhere to be seen and an annoyed huff left the spiker.

“Oi, Makki, I’m going to go look for our Captain. Let coach know for me, okay? He’s probably gotten caught by his fanclub again” Iwaizumi rolled his eyes as he addressed his friend. Makki promptly waved him off and Iwaizumi took that as his cue to leave.

He wandered the corridors of the Sendai gymnasium for a while, cursing his best friend under his breath. “Where the hell are you, Shittykawa?” He mumbled as he walked. Shortly after, he heard a deep voice coming from the hallway.

“This is a warning, Oikawa. Don’t choose the wrong path again. You chose the wrong path. There was a place where you could have realised your true potential. Because of your worthless pride, you didn’t chose it.”

“So, you’re trying to tell me that I should have gone to Shiratorizawa instead of Seijou, right?” Oikawa’s voice drifted over to where Iwaizumi stood, and the spiker felt his blood boil at the mere suggestion. He wasn’t going to allow Ushijima to challenge Oikawa like that, not after that match. His footsteps were heavy and obvious as he stormed over, placing himself between Oikawa and Ushijima. He shielded his best friend from the spiteful words that would come from the other captain.

“Leave him the hell alone, Ushijima.” Iwaizumi growled threateningly.

“So this is the reason for your bad decisions, Oikawa? How lame, he is nothing. How good is an ace if he can’t even reach Nationals? I would have been better for you” Ushijima stated, unimpressed as he stared down at Iwaizumi. The wing spiker held Ushijima’s gaze, unbridled fury pumping through him and not allowing him to back down. Shiratorizawa’s captain lingered for a moment more before turning on his heel and walking away.

The fury in Iwaizumi’s veins found a new target, directing the anger inwards. He couldn’t deny Ushijima’s last comment, as much as he wished he could. He had thought along similar lines since the match against Karasuno had ended. He felt a strong grip on his shoulder and looked to his left. Oikawa was gripping his shoulder tightly, fury curling his lip up into a sneer, his eyes narrowed at the retreating back of the other captain.

“Don’t let Ushiwaka get to you. You were not a bad decision, he would never be better for me than you. I don’t regret my choice of going to Seijou with you” Oikawa’s voice was firm and held no room for argument. Iwaizumi took a deep breath in and nodded, shoving the insecurities that Ushijima had reawakened back into the depths of his heart, only to be examined once he was alone that night.

“I was coming to get you because the bus is here. C’mon… Let’s go” Iwaizumi forced out, surprised at how level his voice was.

“Alright, Iwa-chan. Are you coming over tonight?” Oikawa turned to his friend as they began to walk. Iwaizumi just shook his head.

“No… I think I need some time alone… But that doesn’t give you an excuse to stay up all night watching reruns of the match against Karasuno and beating yourself up about it. The loss wasn’t your fault”

“I know it wasn’t my fault alone. The team with the stronger six is better, right? You taught me that back in middle school. I haven’t forgotten”

“Well, if you understand that, then good. I’ll stay over tomorrow, if that’s alright with you”

“Of course it is, Iwa-chan. Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Just making sure”

It was easy enough to drive down the comments that kept floating around in his head, after what Ushijima said, with Oikawa by his side. His best friend kept the conversation going and Iwaizumi chipped in with his usual comments every so often. Even on the bus ride back, he didn’t get much time to dwell on it because Oikawa fell asleep on his shoulder. Looking at him made the bone deep exhaustion in his muscles be known and he was also soon asleep with his head resting atop the setter’s.

It wasn’t until he got inside his bedroom, door tightly shut behind him that he allowed himself to break. He sat heavily on his bed, elbows on his knees and head in his hands. The white hot anger at himself consumed him. Ushijima was right. What kind of ace was he if he couldn’t even take Oikawa to nationals once?

He was useless, he should have been able to get that last spike in. If he had, then maybe it would have been Aoba Jousai versus Shiratorizawa again in their final rematch. Now they’d never be able to try and defeat Ushijima again. That had been their last chance to go to nationals together and he had messed it up. The tears that he had been holding back since Oikawa had slapped him on the back broke free and rushed down his cheeks in floods.

Heaving sobs left him as he thought about all of his shortcomings, all of the ways he had failed his best friend. He was the ace, he should have at least been able to fulfil Oikawa’s dream… Oikawa would never go to nationals because of him. 

He didn’t know how long he sat there sobbing, he didn’t hear his phone ping multiple times with messages or phone calls coming with increasing frequency, he didn’t even hear his bedroom door open or the small gasp that left the intruder upon seeing the sight in front of him. 

Iwaizumi was hunched over himself, his shoulders jumping with the force of the sobs wracking his body. The ace was a wreck and Oikawa’s breath caught in his throat. He hadn’t been sure what to expect when he came over, but he knew enough that Iwaizumi ignoring him after a match loss was never good. Hesitantly, the setter made his way over to his ace and sat beside him, arm wrapping around his shoulders and pulling him in close. Hajime’s breath stuttered as he was moved and tear filled eyes looked up in surprise. He had to turn his gaze away from Oikawa, he couldn’t look him in the eye after everything that happened today was his fault.

“Iwa-chan…” Oikawa tried softly, only to have Iwaizumi attempt to pull away from him.

“Hajime…” He tried again, shocking the spiker into stillness.

“Hajime, look at me”

With a heavy heart, Iwaizumi raised his gaze to meet Oikawa’s once again. The setter’s eyes were red rimmed and puffy but they were clear and calm. Iwaizumi felt his heart clench at the knowledge that his incompetence caused Oikawa’s tears. He moved to look away again but slender fingers gripped his jaw tightly and forced Iwaizumi to keep looking at him.

“Hey… It wasn’t your fault, Hajime…”

“Yes it was” Hajime’s voice was hoarse and barely there, but it was enough for Oikawa to hear.

“You hit that toss with perfect timing, Hajime. There was nothing more you could have done”

“That’s what’s so frustrating… It was a perfect toss, with perfect timing and yet… And yet…” Iwaizumi dissolved into fresh sobs. “I- I couldn’t… I wasn’t good enough”

“Hey! None of that. You are my partner on and off the court, you have always been more than good enough. There’s nobody else I could have trusted that shot to. I trusted you to get it over the net, and that’s what you did. You can’t help that they received it and returned it with that god-like quick… Just like I can’t help that it deflected off the block, making the angle of my receive wrong and the ball hit the court.” Oikawa grabbed Hajime by the shoulders and knocked their heads together lightly. “The team with the better six is stronger, they just happened to be the better six today. However, you were perfect. You hit my tosses flawlessly, just like you always do.”

Hajime surged forwards and wrapped Oikawa tightly in his arms, burying his face against his neck as he cried. Tooru’s fingers slowly threaded through his spiker’s hair, helping to calm him and to chase the fears away. Oikawa spoke again, softer this time.

“I don’t regret choosing Aoba Jousai over Shiratorizawa. I would never have been happy at Shiratorizawa. I wouldn’t have had you”  
Hajime’s breath stuttered again at those words… Was that… Was Tooru confessing? Were his feelings really returned after all this time? He couldn’t help himself as he leaned forwards and gently pressed his lips against Tooru’s. Oikawa froze for a moment before pressing back against Hajime, holding the spiker tighter against him. They broke the kiss after a few moments and gazed into each other’s eyes.

“I love you” they both breathed at the same time before laughing softly. Tear tracks still marred Iwaizumi’s cheeks and Oikawa’s eyes were still rimmed with red but the utter despair in Iwaizumi’s chest slowly melted into a dull ache of loss, the way he usually felt after a lost match. Nothing seemed to matter much, even the dull ache he felt couldn’t overcome the happiness starting to bubble in his chest. He leaned forward and kissed Tooru again softly. “Thank you” he whispered against his lips.

“What for?”

“For being the partner I can boast about, on and off the court”

“Silly Iwa-chan, you don’t have to thank me for something that’s mutual”

Iwaizumi’s arms tightened around Oikawa’s waist and the setter tightened his hold on the spiker in turn. Yes, they lost, and they all had their own reasons for blame, but somehow things seemed to be brighter than they were before. Iwaizumi rested his head in the crook between Oikawa’s neck and shoulder and took a breath in. If this was how things would be from now on, then he could live with the loss and his own imperfections… Just as long as his setter, his partner, his everything, allowed him to remain at his side.


End file.
